Russia Sends UNSC Head Draft Resolution on UN Peacekeepers Deployment in Donbass

After Russian President Vladimir Putin said he supported the idea of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, Moscow sent its proposals on the issue to the United Nations.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — Russia has sent the UN Security Council president and the Secretary-General a draft resolution on the United Nations mission in Ukraine and hopes to convene consultations soon, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya told reporters on Tuesday.

"Today, we sent a corresponding draft resolution to the Security Council president and the UN Secretary-General. We hope it will be circulated among the Council members in the nearest future," Nebenzya said.

The Russian ambassador also said Russia intends "to call consultations at the expert level and after the [Security] Council comes back from its mission to Ethiopia, at the level of the UN ambassadors."

Nebenzya explained that the draft resolution was sent for consideration as the UN Security Council will be on a mission to Ethiopia this week and consultations at the level of ambassadors can only start once the ambassadors return next week.

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he supported the idea of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine. However, Putin added the UN mission should only ensure the security of OSCE staff and the peacekeepers must be placed on the disengagement line.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that no concrete steps on deployment of peacekeepers in eastern Ukraine have been considered so far as this issue needs to be discussed first in the framework of the Normandy Four format, comprising Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine.

"No concrete ideas exist yet, or understanding of what kind of peacekeeping forces. This was not discussed by anyone, it was not formulated by anyone, it was not visualized, it was not agreed upon by anyone," Peskov stressed.

He reiterated that that Putin never objected to the deployment of peacekeepers on the separation of forces line in Donbas with the consent of all conflicting parties.

In his turn, Russia’s envoy to the group Boris Gryzlov said that the idea to deploy UN peacekeepers to the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass is possible only with Kiev’s goodwill.

"The deployment of peacekeepers on the line of contact is quite possible with Kiev’s goodwill, and it can also facilitate the full termination of the armed phase of the conflict. However, the peacekeepers’ safety should also be ensured by the pullback of sides’ forces and full withdrawal of heavy arms," he told reporters.

According to Gryzlov, the presence of the UN mission in the region does not remove the issues of political settlement, including on the region’s status, from the agenda.

Meanwhile, Kiev said that the deployment of peacekeepers can help restore peace in the region.